Bottle package



Nov. 27, 1951 N. A. SCHOELLES 2,576,725

BOTTLE PACKAGE I Filed June 28, 1948 2 SI'IEETSSHEET 1 INVENTOR NormanA. Schoelles ATTORNEYS Nov. 27, 1951 N. A. SCHOELLES Filed June 28, 1948m 8 5 RM GM T mw T wM D v 3 7H. m C... x

Patented Nov. 27, 1951 BOTTLE PACKAGE Normanv A. Schoelles',vv WestEnglewood, N. J assignorto General Aniline- & Film Corporation, NewYork.: N. Y a corporationof Delaware ApplicationJune28, 1948',Seri'aI'No. 35,674

6' Claims.- (Cl.-21510) This invention relates to an improved commercialpackage for a bottle, whichis especially adapted tobe stacked withsimilar packages for packing or display purposes;

This application is a continuationin part of my co-pending applicationfor Letters Patent-cf the United States Serial No. 777,261; filedOctober 1 I947, nowabandoned.

It is an object of this invention teprovide a simple and economicalpackage for bottled preparations, adapted to beconveniently--stackedwith similar packages in a packing case or on adisplay counteror shelf, offering outstanding'stability against collapseof the stack, and substantial protection against breakage duringshipment; handling' or use.

In'conjunction with the foregoingobject, it is also an object to providea commercial package of pleasing and unusual appearance, singularly welladapted to-display advertising matter thereon-to the bestadvantage, notonly when'vd'isplayed for sale, but also during use by the consumer;

In accordance with my invention, I" provide a bottle, e-; g., ofglass orother ceramic or plastic material, having neck and body portions and anabutment projecting from the side of the body portion and facing theneck portion, and aztubm lar'member'or sleeve forassembly with thebottle to' f'orm a package, whichmay-beof any stiff material such ascardboard, wood; plastic or the like; said sleeve surrounding said neckportion and fitting snugly around said upper body por-. tion, with itsedgeat one end engaging said' abutment and its opposite end extendingbeyond the top' of the bottle. Thebase' ofthe bottle is-shaped to adaptit forinsertion, fitting-looselyor snugly, into the latter or outer endof said sleeveiorthe corresponding sleeve of a similar bottle package")?and means are provided for limitingtheextent of such insertion of the(base portion of said bottle intothe outer end of said sleeve to" a pointshort of the space norm'all'y' occupied by the neck poi"- tion of thebottle; Thelatter means may'compr-ise a downwardly facingabutmentadjacent to the baseof the bottle and adapted to engage theouter" edge. ofthesleeve: or it may comprise a partition on otherabutment within the: sleeve, adapted'to support the-'base of'the bottle.So long as the base of the bottle extends into" the latter end ofthesleeve, the portion of the sleeve encircling the baseprevents lateraldisplacement of the'bottle' beyond the-limits of thesleeve.

: B'y use'of theforegoingcombina-tion; a plurality of packagesinaccordance-with myinvention, can be readily arranged astack; merely byinsertiing the base-portions of successive bottles into the outer endsof the sleeves on adjacent bottles at the-junction-between each pairofpackages inthe stacks When my packages are stacked in the aforesaidmanner, the sleeves protect the neck portions of the bottles fromcontact with other objects and act as separators or cushionsbetweenadjacentbottles in the stack, preventing damage from the bottlesknocking against each other. The sleeves moreover, maintain the bottlessubstantially in. alignment so that the stacks of packages canbeconveniently and safely handled as units for depositing them in apackingv case, andmpreventdisarrangement of. the bottles duringshipment. In addition, the sleeves serve to stabilize stacks of thepackages against collapsewhen arrangedona shelf or display counter, andcan be arrangedto serve as connectors between the bottles, withoutinterfering with removal of. individual packages from the stack.

The sleevesv of'my packages provide a convenient base for applying alabel, trade-mark, legend or other matter for ornamental or advertisingpurposes, and resulting, packages, when displayed singly. or stacked,present a unique and striking appearance, wherein the contents ofthebottlec'an be displayed in juxtaposition to" the label or ad'-vertising matter placed on the sleeve, and the sleeve and bottlesections are visible alternately in a stack.

In one embodiment of my invention, the sleeve maybe simply andeconomically made bycutting a series of" sections from cylindricalcardboard tubing; the bottle adapted to be used with such sleeves havingan upwardly facing abutment, such as anannular shoulder near the upperend ofthe body portion" and a similar downwardly facing abutment orshoulder near its base. The card-- board' tubing is selected to yieldsleeves-- having substantially the same internal diameter as thecylindrical portion of the body of the bottle ex tending upward fromsaid upwardly" facing shoulder or abutmentso that said cylindricalportion may be inserted to fit snugly iii-the end of said sleeve:Similarly, the opposite end of the sleeves can be" constructed tohavethe same diameter as the cylindrical base portion of" the bottlesextending downward from the lower shoulder or" abutment, so that asnugfit will result. If the sleeve end' is of somewhat larger diameter, aloose fit'results; The inserta-blebase portion of the bottle ispreferablymade relatively short" soas to facilitate removal ofindividual packages from a stack; The cardboard sleeves are made ofsufficient length to separate the top is shaped to enter loosely or fitsnugly into the 1 the sleeve when the neck portion of the bottle isinserted into said end of the sleeve. In this form of the invention, thepackage is advantageously marketed and displayed with the bottleinverted so that the cardboard sleeve forms the lower portion of thepackage and the body portion of the bottle forms the upper part thereof.In this position the sleeve serves as a cushion to protect the packageagainst shocks from contact with a supporting surface. Moreover, in thelatter embodiment, the body portion of the bottle is advantageouslyshaped and dimensioned to fit into the cavity of the sleeve originallyoccupied by the neck portion of the bottle, so that in order to use thecontents of the bottle, the position of the inverted bottle is merelyreversed, its base being inserted into the open end of the sleeve,whereby the sleeve continues to act as a cushion for the bottle and alsois adapted to catch drops of liquid running down the sides of thebottle. Since the sleeve remains in the same position during use as wellas in the original package, the legend or advertising matter thereon isat all times in upright and legible position. In this embodiment, theedge of the sleeve at the end adapted to receive the upper end of thebottle can be advantageously reinforced, e. g., by curling the cardboardin- :ward, to form a rim of double thickness, and thereby improvefrictional engagement with the upper portion of a bottle when insertedtherein. My invention will be more fully understood, and additionalobjects and advantages will appear from the following description of anumber of preferred embodiments of my invention, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bottle employed in one form ofpackage according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an individual package, includin thebottle of Fig. 1, portions being cut away to show the underlyingstructure and relationship of the parts.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a stack of packages of the type shown inFig. 2, portions being cut away to show the underlying structure.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of another form of bottle suitable foruse in accordance with the invention.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of an individual package as displayed ormarketed, including the bottle of Fig. 4, portions being cut away as inthe preceding figures. w M V Figure 6 is a side elevation of the packageof Fig. 5, rearranged for use of the contents of the bottle. r a 7Figure 7 is a side elevation of a, stack of packages of the type shownin Fig. 5.

Figure 8 is a detail in side elevation of another form of sleeve for usewith the bottles of Figs. 4and 10.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view, with portions cut away, of a stack ofpackages, illustrating use of the sleeve of Fig. 8 with the bottle ofFig. 1.

Figure 10 is a' fragmentary view, similar to Fig. 9, illustrating use ofthe sleeve of Fig. 8 with a bottle resembling that of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, the form of package illustrated in Figs. 1 to3 includes a bottle ll] of the type shown in Fig. 1, comprising a neckportion including a closure, such as screw cap 12, at the top, andhaving a generally cylindrical body portion, including a, substantiallycylindrical section l3 adjacent the neck portion, a relatively shortcylindrical section 14 of the same diameter at the base of the bottle,and an intervening section l5 of increased diameter, terminating at anupper abutment formed by annular shoulder l6 facing the neck portion II, and a lower abutment formed by annular shoulder ll facing the base ofthe bottle and adjacent thereto. The surface of section l5 intermediateshoulders l6 and I1, may have any desired shapeordesign; for example, itmay be provided with ornamentalor utilitarian designs, such as roundeddepressions I8, for improving the appearance of the bottle andafiordinga firmer grip in handling the same.

For assembly with the bottle I0, my package comprises a sleeve 19 ofstifi material such as cardboard, preferably flat at its ends, having aninternal diameter similar to that of cylindrical sections l3 and Id ofbottle l0, and a length exceeding, by at least a small increment,combined distances from shoulder IE to the top of cap l2 and fromshoulder I! to the base of the bottle. Advertising matter such as atrade-mark, or label 20 bearing a suitable legend or design, can beapplied to the exterior of the sleeve IS.

The bottle I0 and sleeve l9 are. assembled in the manner shown in Fig. 2to form an individual commercial package, by sliding the sleeve [9downward over the upper section I3 of the body portion of bottle 10,until the lower end of said sleeve abuts annular shoulder IS, theupwardly extending portion of said sleeve thereby surrounding neckportion II of the bottle, and thus providing substantial protectionagainst breakage from contact with other objects in handling.

The outside diameter of sleeve I9 is advantageously made the same asthat of section l5 of the body portion of the bottle so as to afford asubstantially continuous cylindrical surface extending from the topnearly to the base of the package.

If the bottle is transparent, the contents thereof are visible at thelower portion of the package, while the upper part formed by sleeve I9can be suitably ornamented or provided with advertising matter to form apackage of especially striking and attractive appearance.

A plurality of the packages of Fig. 2 can be readily stacked, as shownin Fig. 3, by inserting the lower section l4 near the base of thebottles into the upper end of sleeve IQ of an adjacent package,downwardly facing shoulder I! of each bottle abutting the outer edge ofthe sleeve. Telescopic engagement of the base section M of each bottlewith the sleeve 19 of the adjacent package stabilizes the. stack againstdisarrangementor collapse, the resulting stability being of Par a daeewhenihe t c e p eq on shelves. or counters from which they are to beremoved by customers or salesmen.

Another preferred embodiment of my: invention is illustrated in Figs. 4to 7:. In this em.- bodiment, a bottle 2 I. isv provided, having. a neckportion 22 with a cap. or closure 23, and a body portion comprising anupper convex, rounded section 24 extending to an annular shoulder 25which faces the neck portion 22. Extending downward from shoulder 25, amid-section 26 of the body tapers inwardly, as indicated at 21, and thenexpands to. form a slight. bulge 28 or. nearly cylindrical portion nearthe base of the bottle, while. below the bulge 28. an inwardly taperedsection 2e extends to the. base. The upper con: vex section 24approaches cylindrical shape. at. its junction with shoulder 25.Moreover, raised characters or alegend: 30- can be advantageouslymoulded on the exterior of. convex section 24 ad-.- jacent shoulder 25'.Any desired ornamental or utilitarian design, such as the roundeddeprese sions. 3|, can be formed in the surface of the lower portion ofthe bottle as in the case of the bottle of Figs. 1 to 8. For reasonswhich will hereinafter appear, the diameter of the slightly bulgedorcylindrical portion 28 is similar to that of the convex section 24 atits junction with shoulder 25, while. the base of the bottle at theendof: inwardly tapered section 29 is of somewhat smaller diameter.

To make up a package in accordance with my invention, employing bottle2|, I provide a sleeve 32' of stiff material such as cardboard, havingan internal diameter similar to that of convex section 24 ofthe bottleat its junction with shoulder 25', said sleeve having its upper end 33open and a partition 34. of similar material near its base, securedtherein and advantageouslysupportedby an inwardly curled rim 35 whichserves tospace saidpartition a short distance from the lower end ofsleeve 32. The length of' the sleeve is such that the distance from the.partition 34 to the. edgeof upper end 33 exceeds by. at least. a. small,increment the. distance. from annular shoulder 25 to the top of cap 23of the bottle, A label 36, or similar design, on the outside of sleeve32has its legend in upright position when the open end 330i the sleeveisupwardly disposed and partition 34 is nearer the base.

An individual package for display or marketing purposes is made inaccordance with my inven. tion by inverting bottle 2|, and insertingits; neck portion 22; and convex; section 24 into. the upwardly,disposed. open, end 33 of. sleeve. 32, until annular shoulder 25abutsthe upper. edge of the sleeveas shown in Fig. 5..Theraised-characters 30, if provided, serve to increase frictional engagement of they sleeve 32with bottle 2 holding the. two parts of thepackage together. The package, when it is displayed, presentsa. uniqueappearance in which. mostof the body. portion of the'bottle anditscontents are visible. at the top of the package, and: the sleeve32bearingadver-v tisingmatter or; the, like forms the. base, ofthepackage, The curled rim .35 of sleeve32; provides abroad, steady, basefor thepackage, cushioning the bottle. against shocks; and possible;breakage when the packageis placed on a hard support, as well as fromjolting duringshipment of the pack-.- age. in, upright position.

In order; to use the contents of the bottle2 the latter is withdrawn.from the sleeve 32, its position reversed, and its. lower portion 26,in-. sertdi to the-open. endci the sleev 32; as. shown in Fig. 6. Thebase of thebottleis 1161161018119:

ported on partition 34- while the. slightly bulged or cylindricalportion 28, having the same. diameterv as the interior of sleeve. 32.can engage the.

inner wall of the latter. to. hold the sleeve. and bottle wallfrictionally'together. Sleeve 32 thus continuesto provide a cushion forthe. bottle. during use, protecting it againstshocks or jolts inhandling, and; also preventing the bottle from marring the surface onwhich it is placed. Moreover, sleeve 32 serves tov catch any drops, ofliquid which may. run, down the bottle, thusv preventing possible damageto the surface on. which the bottle is placed.

A luralit of individual packages. of the, type shown in Fig. 5 can beconveniently stacked in the manner shown in Fig. 7 by inserting the up!wardly disposed tapered ends. .29 of the bottles into the shallowcavities formed by curled rim.

3.5 and partition 34 at the lower. end. ofsleeve 32 of each superposedpackage, the partitions. 34 resting upon the bottom surfaces of theinverted bottles and serving as. abutments to limit. insertion of saidbottles into the sleeves. As in the case of the stack shown in Fig. 3',interengagement of the bottles of each package. with the base of thesleeves 32 in adjacent packages stablelizes the stack againstdisarrangement or col.- lapse, especially when the stacks are placed onshelves or counters, while at the same. time the individual packages canbe readily removed, one at a time, by customers orsalesmen.

Fig. 8 shows a modified form of thesleeve. of Figs. 5 to '7, which canbesuitably: made of some: what thinner cardboard or other stiff material.Figs. 9 and 10 show assembly of the. sleeves of Fig. 8 with thebottlell} of Fig, 1, and; with; a bottle 2|, essentially. similar to bottle2|, described above, except. that the broadest.- point 28 is closer tothe base. than the bulge 28. of bottle 2|. Similar reference, numeralsare accordingly used for bottles 2| and 2|, thev latter beingdistinguished by a prime. The sleeve 3'! has one edge bent inward uponitself to form a curled rim 38 which reinforcesv the edge of the sleeve,and which is, made of a. diameter snugly fitting the upper cylindricalportion l3 of bottle ID or the corresponding rounded sections 24v or 24*of bottles 2| or 2|'-'. Atthe opposite end of the sleeve. 3T, apartition- 39'and av surrounding axially projecting annular flange 4D.projecting outward from the partition are provided, e. g., by applying asheet metal closure of the type commonly used in tubular cardboardcontainers to the end of the sleeve, said closure being secured to thesleeve by clamp-ing its edge in an annular groove 4| formed at the edgeof the metal closure, so that the metal forming the groove 4| also formsannular flange 68. Like partition 34 of sleeve32, the metal partition39; is spaced from the edge. of; the rim 38. at the opposite end of thesleeve by a distance exceed ing by at least a small increment the.distance from the annular shoulder 25 or 25. to the top of the cap 23 or23 on bottle: 2| 0r 2|, or correspondingly the distance from annularshoulder It to the top of the cap |;2 on bottle Iii. While. the outsidediameter of the; annular; flange 4i| is .virtually the same as, the;outside diameter of sleeve 31 so that, externally, it-forms substantial-1y a continuation thereof, its inside diameter is slightly greater than.the diameter, of the base portions of bottles |.0 or-2|'.

The sleeve 3] canbe assembledas; shown. in Fig., 9, with bottle |u.;by.invertingthesleeve and pressing. it down on; the. upper. cylindrical;p.011!

tion l3 of the bottle until the rim 38 abuts shoulder IS. The inwardlycurled rim 38, by reason of its resilient cushioning effect, providesincreased frictional engagement with the sides of the bottle to hold thesleeve firmly in place. In the resulting package, the sleeve protectsthe upper portion of the bottle from damage by knocking other objects inhandling or storage. The metal closure forming the partition 39 providesadditional protection for the top of the bottle, and improves theappearance of the package. As in the case of the other sleeveshereinbefore described, a label bearing a legend, trade-mark ordecorative matter can be applied to the sides of the sleeve, and ifdesired can also be provided on the partition 39.

Similarly, the sleeve 31 can be assembled with bottle 2 I in much thesame manner as sleeve 32 with bottle 2|, preferably by inverting thebottle and inserting its upper rounded portion 24 into the cavity of'the sleeve, the bottle being pressed into the sleeve until the rim 38abuts shoulder 25 on the bottle. The inwardly curled flange of the rim38 affords cushioned frictional engagementwith the walls of the bottle,especially when it engages the raised characters or legend 30 formed onthe walls of the bottle, to hold the parts of'the resulting packagetogether.

A label or legend when applied to the sleeve 3! can be applied inupright or inverted position (in Fig. 8), depending on the position tobe occupied by the sleeve in the package as marketed, so that the labelwill appear thereon in upright position when the package is displayed.

When packages of my invention are stacked as shown in Fig. 9, the baseportion Id of the bottle l rests in the shallow cavity formed by flange40 of the sleeve of the next lower package, and is supported on thecorresponding partition 39, Similarly, in stacking the packages shown inFig. 10, the upturned base of the inverted bottle 2| of one packageenters the shallow cavity of flange 40 of the sleeve of the superposedpackage, and the partition 39 of the latter rests on the base of theaforesaid bottle. In either case, the flange 40, loosely surrounding thebase of the bottle, prevents the packages from sliding sideways on eachother, thus rendering the stack relatively secure against collapse frommisplacing the packages or from casual displacement caused by vibration,handling, lateral contact or the like.

For use of the contents, the bottle 2i can be inserted in sleeve 3'! inthe same manner as described above with reference to bottle 2| andsleeve 32, and shown in Fig. 6. For this purpose, the broadest part 28'of the bottle 2| near its base has a diameter at most equal to thediameter of the rounded portion 24' adjacent shoulder 25, so that thebase of the bottle can be inserted into sleeve 31 past its curled rim38, finally resting on partition 39. Preferably, the broadest part 28'near the base of the bottle is the same diameter as the rounded part 24'so that the base passes rim 38 of the sleeve 37 with a snug fit, so thatwhen the bottle and sleeve are assembled for use, the sleeve will notdrop off the base of the bottle, but will be retained. thereon byfrictional resistance to withdrawal of the part 28' past rim 38.

The packages of my invention are particularly advantageous for packinglarge numbers thereof in cases for shipment. Thus, groups of packagescan be stacked as shown in the drawings, and the resulting stacks can besafely lifted and deposited as a unit in the packing case.Interengagement of the bottle of one package with the sleeve of anadjacent package not only prevents collapse of the stack during suchhandling, but also keeps the stacks of bottles substantially aligned inthe shipping cases, minimizing danger of breakage from lateral contactbetween the bottles. Furthermore, sleeves I9, 32 or 31 act as separatorsor cushions to keep the ends of adjacently packed bottles out ofcontact, and thus protect them from damage during shipment.

Variations can be made in the packages specifically described abovewithout departing from the scope of my invention. Thus, the abutmentprovided by annular shoulders l6, l1 and 25 for engaging the ends ofsleeves I9, 32 or 31, can be of different form or shape and may bediscontinuous or continuous circumferentially of the bottle. Similarly,the abutment formed by partition 34 or 39 in sleeve 32 or 31 can bereplaced by any other suitable form of abutment in said sleeve. Thepackages of my invention have been specifically illustrated as includingbottles of circular, transverse cross-section; however, the structure ofmy invention can be similarly applied in the case of bottles of othercrosssectional shapes, the sleeve being modified in each case to conformto the shape of the bottle.

Other variations and modifications can be made within the scope of myinvention, and portions can be used without others.

I claim:

1. A commercial package adapted to be stacked with similar packages,comprising a bottle having body and neck portions, said body portionincluding an abutment projecting from the side of the body portion andfacing the neck portion, and said neck portion carrying a closuremember; a sleeve of stiff material surrounding the neck portion andclosure member, spaced from the latter member, and fitting snugly over,and being slidable in axial direction upon, said body portion with oneend engaging said abutment and the opposite end extending beyond saidneck portion and closure member; said bottle having a base shaped anddimensioned to enter said opposite end of the sleeve, slidably in axialdirection; and means limiting insertion of said base into said oppositeend of the sleeve to a point within the sleeve but short of the spaceoccupied by said neck portion when the sleeve engages said abutment. v

2. A commercial package comprising a bottle having body and neckportions, said body portion including an external abutment projectingfrom the side of the body portion and facing the neck portion, and saidneck portion carrying a closure member; and a sleeve of stiff materialhaving an internal transverse abutment, said sleeve being adapted tosurround the neck portion of the bottle and closure member, spaced fromthe latter member, and shaped to fit snugly against, to frictionallyengage, and to be slidable in axial direction upon, the sides of thebody portion adjacent the external abutment thereon, with one end of thesleeve engaging the external abutment and the opposite end extendingbeyond said neck portion and closure member, said internal abutmentbeing disposed thereby beyond said neck portion, said body portion beingshaped and dimensioned below the external abutment for insertion,slidably in axial direction, into the first-named end of the sleeve sothat the base of the bottle rests on the internal abutment of thesleeve.

3. A commercial package adapted to be stacked with similar packages,comprising a bottle having body and neck portions, said body portionincluding an abutment projecting from the side of the body portionadjacent to and facing the neck portion, and said neck portion carryinga closure member; a sleeve of stiff material adapted to surround theneck portion and closure member, spaced from the latter member, andhaving one end fitting snugly over, and being slidable in axialdirection upon, said body portion to engage said abutment while theopposite end extends beyond said neck portion and closure member; and atransverse partition secured in said sleeve, adjacent to but spaced fromsaid opposite end, disposed to clear the top of said neck portion; thelower body portion of said bottle being shaped and dimensioned forinsertion slidably in axial direction into the first-named end of saidsleeve, so that the base of the bottle rests upon the partition, and thebase of the bottle being also shaped and dimensioned to enter, slidablyin axial direction, said opposite end of the sleeve so that the baseabuts said partition, whereby the portion of the sleeve projectingbeyond said partition can surround the base of the bottle to restrainthe base against lateral displacement beyond the limits of the sleeve.

4. A commercial package adapted to be stacked with similar packages,comprising a bottle having body and neck portions, said body portionincluding a circumferential shoulder projecting from the side of thebody portion adjacent to and facing thev neck portion, and said neckportion carrying a closure member; a sleeve of stiff material adapted tosurround the neck portion and closure member, spaced from the lattermember, and having at least one end fitting snugly over, and beingslidable in axial direction upon, said body portion to abut saidshoulder while the opposite end extends beyond said neck portion andclosure member; and a transverse partition secured in said sleeve,adjacent to but spaced from said opposite end, disposed to clear the topof said neck portion; the lower body portion of said bottle being shapedand dimensioned to enter slidably in axial direction the first-named endof said sleeve, so that the base of the bottle rests upon saidpartition, and including means for frictionally engaging the interiorsurface of said sleeve so as to resist withdrawal of the bottle from thesleeve when said lower body portion is inserted into the first-named endof the sleeve; and the base of the bottle being shaped and dimensionedfor insertion, slidably in axial direction, into said opposite end ofthe sleeve so that the base abuts said partition, whereby the portion ofthe sleeve projecting beyond said partition can surround the base of thebottle to restrain the base against lateral displacement beyond thelimits of the sleeve.

5. A commercial package adapted to be stacked with similar packages,comprising a bottle having body and neck portions, said body portionincluding a circumferential shoulder projecting from the side of thebody portion adjacent to and facing the neck portion, and said neckportion carrying a closure member; a sleeve of stifi material adapted tosurround the neck portion and closure member, spaced from the lattermember, and having at least one end fitting snugly over, and beingslidable in axial direction upon, said body portion to abut saidshoulder while the opposite end extends beyond said neck portion andclosure member, said bottle having locally raised areas on the externalsurface of the sleeve-engaging part of the body portion adjacent saidshoulder to provide increased frictional engagement between said sleeveand the bottle; a transverse partition secured in said sleeve, adjacentto but spaced from said opposite end, disposed to clear the top of saidneck portion; the lower body portion of said bottle being shaped anddimensioned to enter, slidably in axial direction, said opposite end ofthe sleeve so that the base abuts said partition, whereby the portion ofthe sleeve projecting beyond said partition can surround the base of thebottle to restrain the base against displacement beyond the limits ofthe sleeve.

6. A commercial package comprising a bottle having body and neckportions, said body portion including a circumferential shoulderprojecting from the side of the body portion and facing the neckportion, and said neck portion carrying a closure member; and a sleeveof stiff material, open at one end and having a transverse partitionadjacent the opposite end, said sleeve being adapted to surround theneck portion of the bottle and closure member, spaced from the lattermember, and shaped to fit snugly a ainst, to frictionally engage, and tobe slidable in axial direction upon the sides of the body portionadjacent said shoulder with the firstnamed end of the sleeve engagingsaid shoulder and the opposite end extending beyond said neck portionand closure member, said transverse partition being disposed therebybeyond said neck portion; said body portion being shaped and dimensionedbelow said shoulder for insertion, slidably in axial direction, into thefirst-named end of the sleeve so that the base of the bottle rests onsaid transverse partition, a part of said body portion adjacent the baseof the bottle and which is adapted for insertion into the open end ofthe sleeve being shaped and dimensioned to have frictional engagementwith a portion of the sleeve adjacent the open end thereof so'that saidfrictionall engaging portions of the sleeve and the bottle move pasteach other during insertion or withdrawal of the base of the bottle fromthe open end of the sleeve, thereby resisting withdrawal of the bottlefrom the sleeve when the base of the bottle has been inserted to rest onsaid internal abutment, and being disengaged when the bottle is thusinserted.

NORMAN A. SCHOELLES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 24,772 Wilson et al. July 12,1859 139,081 Ripley May 20, 1873 297,468 Stevens Apr. 22, 1884 816,625Wallace et a1. Apr. 3, 1906 978,634 Overmyer Dec. 13, 1910 1,797,594Taube et al Mar. 24, 1931 2,318,434 I Strauch May 4, 1943 2,326,414Thompson Aug. 10, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 481,787 GreatBritain Mar. 1'7, 1938

